Unlike Clockwork
by Oh-no-she-di'ent
Summary: Luke and Lorelai are thrown in an unlikely situation. Rating is for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Please! Me? Owning anything Gilmore? HA!**

**Author's Note**: _I got an idea, and it seemed cool, so I typed it, and now you get to read it. Enjoy._

**Unlike Clockwork**

"Ahhh!" Lorelai released a frustrated growl as she plopped down on the diner's stool.

"I take it your day's not going very well," Luke said noticing the accompanying scowl on her face.

She shifted her weight completely on the stool and looked at him with exasperation. "I am seriously hating this day," she said.

He gave her a small half-smile. "It can't be that bad. It's just a day."

"And exactly what angle are you looking at it from?" She brought both arms up and started to twist her hair in her hands. "Because you're going to have to share some of that perching space, Java Boy."

Luke gave her a brief problematic expression at being called _boy_. Lorelai, however didn't notice. She'd closed her eyes in a calming manner. Luke released a sigh and leaned on the countertop. "What's wrong?" He asked mechanically.

Lorelai dropped her hands and opened her eyes, an instant pout forming on her lips. "It's supposed to be March 1st," she whined.

"No, it's supposed to be the day that it is- February 29th," Luke replied sensibly.

"Thank god you're here. My calendar wasn't working this morning." She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. This day isn't normal--I mean, where was it last year...or the year before, or the one before that? It just pops up whenever it feels like it--" she said tossing her hands in the air, "just going around, _'yeah, here I am after four MIA years, so just...deal with it!' _. It just saunters around wreaking havoc on everything trying to truly stand out from the other days--you know, the days that show up year after year--the dedicated days, if you will," she added sweetly like she was back to her normal self. It left just as quickly as it had come. "I just...hate this day!" She finished.

Luke waited patiently until she was done. "What's wrong with the day, Lorelai?" He asked.

"What's not wrong with it?" She asked shrugging. "It's causing everything to go wrong." Bringing her fingers up, she began to count, "First of all, I was completely out of coffee this morning. Didn't have time to stop in here so I had to drink the weak coffee that the construction crew at the inn drinks, which is the same as drinking no coffee at all. Secondly, Rory told me that she couldn't come home this weekend. Something about a group project. Knew Yale was a bad idea," she added. "Thirdly, every single time I talk to Tom, another zero is being added to the already cry-inducing price of getting everything ready and running. Fourthly, I am having one of the worst hair days. This..." she said pointing to her hair, "would make Trump cackle. "And, on top of all of that, I have to drive all the way to stupid Hartford to go get a stupid antique wall hanging for the inn in my jeep that's been like coughing up a hair ball for a week now because apparently I picked the short straw." She released a heavy exhale, settling down some. "I really hate this day," she ended.

Luke was silent for a moment, taking in all she had just said. "And, you think the date is the blame for all of that?" He asked dubiously.

"Yes, if it was March 1st, this wouldn't have happened," she said undauntedly.

"Of course. I see your point now," Luke said in a sarcastic tone.

Lorelai looked down tiredly. It seemed to her as if her luck had turned as soon as the clock struck midnight. Of course the date was to blame.

Luke looked down at her, sensing her true distress. "Hey," he said quietly. She looked up at him. "For what it's worth, your hair doesn't look as bad as you think." She smiled a little. "You have..._good_ bad hair days," he added, nodding approvingly. This made her laugh.

"Thanks, Luke."

Luke smiled too. "And, if it'll help," he began, "I'm heading to the Hartford bank in a little bit, so you can just ride with me if you want."

Lorelai's face lit up. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," he said simply.

Lorelai cut her eyes at him. "And you're not just pretending to _have _to go because of my little breakdown back there?"

He shook his head. "Entertainment at most. I was heading that way anyway."

Lorelai smiled wide. "Well, that works out well. Can I ride shotgun?" She asked happily.

"It's a pick-up truck. Where else are you going to ride?" he asked smartly.

"Dirty," she said.

"What?"

"Think about it."

Luke held up a hand. "I'd rather not." He glanced at the clock and back at her. "Give me a couple minutes, and I'll be ready to go."

"Okay," she said releasing a sigh. Luke turned to walk away. "Luke," she called. He turned back. "You're an angel." He gave her a smile and disappeared behind the curtain.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

" I'm going to be in there for ten minutes," Luke stressed. They were parked near the bank, and his driver's side door hung open as he spoke to Lorelai. "Can you sit here for _ten minutes _without bothering anything?"

"Sure," Lorelai said while looking around at all the gadgets.

"Lorelai," Luke said watching her.

"Ooh, what does this do?" She asked reaching for a knob.

In the nearly thirty minutes that it took to get to Hartford, Lorelai's mood had shifted considerably. She had been talking and joking around with Luke, and as she reached for the _pretty_ button, she was doing it for no other reason than to playfully bug him and enjoy the mood that she was now in.

He caught her arm. "Okay, out," he said.

"What?" She asked, her arm still in his palm.

He let her go and pointed to her door. "You're going inside with me. Come on."

He turned and got out of the car, and that's when Lorelai took a moment to laugh, replacing it instantly with a frown when he looked at her from the front of the car as he walked around to her side. He made it to her side, opened the door, and held it open for her. "But..." She complained.

"Come on," he said calmly.

"Okay," she breathed out. She stepped outside and allowed him to close the door. "You better hope they have that little sucker dish stocked up, Mister," she said folding her arms.

"I'm sure they won't disappoint," he said patting his pockets to make sure he had everything. "Okay, let's go. In and out," he said leading the way.

"Oooh, dirty," Lorelai sing-songed.

"Do you ever stop?"

"Nope, I'm just like the energizer, Baby. I keep going and going and going and---"

"--Causing headache after headache after headache," he finished, unfortunately picking up the tune in the process.

"You could totally do the sequel to that commercial. You sounded just like the guy."

"I'll keep that as a back-up just in case people stop getting hungry."

"Thinking ahead. Very responsible, Luke." They had made it to the front entrance, and Luke grabbed the door and stepped to the side, allowing Lorelai to enter first. She looked at him briefly, always silently noticing and subconsciously storing the many sweet things that he did. It never even seemed like he thought much of his actions. He just did them.

She stopped and turned toward Luke once she was inside of the small bank. "Are you going to the teller or one of the relationship bankers?" She asked pointing toward one of the offices.

He pointed straight ahead toward the tellers. She turned and walked with him to stand in the line of people.

Luke looked over at her. "I love to come in the middle of a work day in the middle of the week." He motioned toward the four customers in front of him. "Less people," he said with a small smile.

Lorelai looked at him for a moment. "Why is it that the day that I am having the worst day ever, you seem to be in a good mood?"

He shook his head. "I'm not in a good mood. I'm just not that frustrated today. It happens," he said shrugging.

She poked him lightly in the side. "Well, your non-good mood is turning this phantom day around for me."

He looked down at her. "How is that?"

She smiled. "I don't know. You're good company." He rolled his eyes. "I know how much you try to fight it, so for the sake of argument, let's just tell everyone that you threw two good jabs, okay?"

He paused. "Produced blood?"

"Lots of blood," she confirmed with exasperation.

"Make it three, and we've got a deal," he said holding out his hand.

Lorelai smiled wide. "You drive a hard and painful bargain," she said shaking his hand.

Two tellers were open. As one of the customers finished up at the counter, she grabbed her things and walked toward the exit, bringing the line down a bit. Luke took a step forward, Lorelai by his side chattering on about Michel and his chosen wardrobe for the day.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" A woman's scream caused all attention to be directed to the bank's entrance. The woman who had been about to leave the bank now stood frozen after having a handgun thrown in her face.

"I want everybody on the fucking floor now!"

**TBC... **


	2. Chapter 2

**Unlike Clockwork Part II**

"Luke," Lorelai whispered shakily. Luke felt her grasp the side of his jacket.

"It's gonna be okay," he whispered back. He wished like hell he could guarantee it, but as the words came out of his mouth, he knew they were backed by absolutely nothing.

"Everybody get on the motherfucking floor!" The guy yelled louder. The woman with the 32 directly against her forehead dropped everything and hit the floor quickly. Everyone else lowered themselves down too, Luke and Lorelai included.

The man (late teens, early twenties) stepped over the woman and waved the gun in every direction, making it clear how inexperienced he was with the situation that he had so stupidly thrown himself into. He moved over toward the offices, screaming at the two people in their respective offices to get out to the main area. They scurried out and joined the others.

While the gunman's attention was elsewhere, a young woman, frightened with fresh tears flowing silently down her cheeks, stood up and moved slowly past the bodies on the floor before breaking out running toward the exit. "Wait," Luke called out quietly. He looked over to the gunman who was busy making sure all offices were empty. His eyes fell back to the girl, and he sent up a silent prayer that she would make it out. The gunman turned just in time to see her pushing the door open.

"Stop!" He yelled in a panicked tone. He pointed the gun and shot. Several screams rang out, and Luke's breath caught as he watched the girl fall on the sidewalk. Before he could fully react, the girl got up quickly and ran away unscathed. He'd missed.

Luke's attention went to the gun-wielding man, wishing that he could go over and beat him senseless.

"Don't look at me," he yelled noticing Luke's gaze. Luke still looked piercingly at the man. "Don't fucking look at me," he screeched pointing the gun at Luke.

"Oh my god, Luke, please..." Lorelai looked from the man to Luke as she grabbed his arm to get his attention. "Look at me," she whispered. Luke was very much willing to hold his glare. The man's gun did nothing but anger him beyond anything he'd ever experienced. Hearing the panicked, scared register of Lorelai's voice caused him to redirect his attention to her. Her eyes were filled with water, and she looked at him pleadingly.

His whole disposition changed when he regarded her. "Don't worry," he said softly, "we're going to get out of here, okay?" A smile came over his face and he stayed looking at her. If his looking at her would cause her to have some peace of mind, he would remain doing it.

Lorelai nodded quickly at his words. Her common sense was telling her that Luke had no clue as to how this would turn out, but that part of her played little role in the resulting feeling at hearing him speak those reassurances. She looked into his eyes, silently begging him not to even glance in the direction of the man. She knew she would never be able to take what the crazy man with the gun may do if it were to happen again. He'd already proved that he was willing to fire.

The man went over to the counter and bent over it to see the tellers on the floor. "Get up and...do the...get some money!" He yelled.

"Oh my _god_!" Luke said rolling his eyes. That was an involuntary sudden reaction at hearing the guy's shaky and unsure voice. He really had no idea what he was doing. He hadn't bothered trying to cover his face, his jeans hung halfway off of his ass, and his face glowed with a sheen of nervous sweat. Luke wondered briefly if he was just walking down the street, found a discarded gun somewhere and made a right into the bank door, thinking _'well, it looks cool on tv.' _

The remark came out a little loud, and Lorelai closed her eyes, praying that Luke's comment would not be heard. She waited, and after a few moments of nothing happening, she released the breath that she was holding. She opened her eyes and looked to Luke, anger burning behind her pupils. She hit him hard in the side, and he retracted slightly at the hit not bothering to even act surprised or upset. She looked like she really wanted to hurt him, and even more, she looked like she was about ready to burst out in tears.

Luke just started to shake his head apologetically. _'I'm sorry'_, he mouthed. Her lip began to shake, and she looked away from him, turning her head in the opposite direction of where he lay. He allowed her to have a moment, feeling like he was doing little to help the situation.

"Uh, what do you want me to put the money in?" One of the women asked once she was standing.

The man tried to maintain authority in speaking, but it faltered in his own confusion. "Don't you have bags around here?" He asked her.

"Sure, and they have big dollar signs on it _just like the cartoons _," she said, obviously forgetting about the true nature of the situation.

"Bitch," He said strongly, bringing the gun up and pointing it at her. "Don't make me kill you because I won't lose any fucking sleep when I do."

The woman held up her hands and apologized profusely. He lowered the gun slightly as he looked around for an acceptable transport. "There," he said waving the gun over in a corner. "Use that." The woman followed his direction with her eyes.

"The trashcan?"

"No, dumbass, the trash_bag _. Empty that shit out and get the bag." She hesitated as she looked at him strangely. "Hurry up! Move!" He yelled causing her to jump into action.

She dumped papers and wrappers all over the floor before snatching the bag out and making her way back over to the cash drawers. She moved quickly, opening drawers and cabinets and throwing money into the black Hefty.

"Come on," he urged. The woman finished emptying out one area. Her hands shook violently as she worked, and as she closed one drawer back, it bumped the bag causing the contents to go spilling to the floor. "What the fu--pick it up!" He cried out. "Hurry up--pick it up--faster!"

"I'm sorry," she said over and over as she scooped the money back into the bag.

"Shut up, and just pick it up!" She finally got most of it back into the bag, and she stood up, readying the bag for more monetary weight. "Just give it to me," he said impatiently. She reached it out, and he snatched it, running over toward the door. "Nobody say anything, okay?" He said to all the people, sounding more like a young boy who'd lost his mother's pearl necklace.

Everyone nodded quickly, feeling juvenile and relieved at the same time. All the act was missing was a palm with spittle and a solidifying hand shake.

The guy turned toward the door and froze.

"Shit!" He yelled, stepping away. "Who the fuck called the goddamn police? Dammit!" He stood to the side of the door, reaching up and knocking himself angrily in the head with the gun. He started walking back toward everyone. "Did somebody hit an alarm or something?" He asked seriously like hands were about to go up and confess. "Shit...dammit...stupid, stupid," he said hitting himself again.

Luke had to seriously suppress the urge to just haul off and thoroughly tell the guy about himself--how completely stupid he was and how he must've been the true inspiration behind _'America's Dumbest Criminals' _--and how he should do himself a favor and just pull the trigger while he was repeatedly knocking himself in the head with his gun. But Luke knew he had Lorelai to consider, and the urge drifted away quietly. She had calmed down, and the tears in her eyes had managed to stay in place, so he wasn't about to jeopardize that. He had reached over and tightly squeezed her hand, and eventually she squeezed back, giving him a look that told him that she needed him to control himself a little more. She needed him to not get himself hurt. Because he would not be the only one affected. Not by a long shot.

They lay holding each other's hand tightly, both looking at the guy as he paced.

Lorelai turned and looked at Luke, and he at her. He shrugged, and they both turned back. The guy looked like a ticking time bomb.

Looking out of the bank's glass door, Lorelai saw two police cars that sat in front of the bank. The officers stood talking to one another behind the safety of their vehicles as they continually tossed glances toward the bank. From her position, that's all she could see, but she was sure that there was a lot more commotion going on out there.

The man suddenly rushed over to the counter and hopped on top of it. "I want everybody out here!" He yelled to the tellers. The two inside tellers and the one for the drive-through service rushed out to the lobby area. He instructed one of them to go back and draw the blinds. Once everyone was in the same area, he hopped down and looked to each of them.

"Which one of you hit an alarm?" He asked pointing the gun from teller to teller. Several women had started to cry. But other than that, it was silence. "Who the fuck was it?" He screamed. He leaned down closer to the only _teller _who was crying. He put the gun directly in front of her face. "Was it you?" He asked. She cried louder. "Answer me!"

"Hey!" Luke yelled. Another involuntary spasm in his vocal chords. Lorelai looked at him, her expression wide. Luke looked back at her, giving her a look that told her he had no choice and it would be okay. He turned back to the guy, who had stopped and looked at him, not bothering to take his weapon out of the woman's face. Luke tried to keep his tone even. "Don't you think that the girl that got out of here may have had something to do with that?" The comment was sarcasm at its best, but Luke's presentation of the words caused the gunman to take his gun back and consider his words.

"Stupid bitch," he finally muttered, assuming she _was_ the true reason for the police. He walked away from the woman, biting the nails on the hand that held the gun.

Luke, satisfied that the woman was out of immediate danger, turned back to Lorelai. "You okay?" He asked her. She nodded, remaining silent.

Luke knew that she wasn't. She was scared, and she had every reason in the world to be. He moved a little closer to her and wrapped his other hand around the both of theirs. He wanted to let her know that he was there for her, no matter what.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Three hours had gone by, and everyone in there was beyond tired. The gunman, by then identified as Parker, was still pacing back and forth across the floor. The police had closed off the entire area surrounding the bank. He knew this because when they called the bank's phone line, Parker had been given that information. He had even volunteered his name in an effort to show some cooperation.

When he'd gotten on the phone, he tried to sound confident and sure of himself, but whatever was said to him caused a bit of that to crumble. He started admitting how he hadn't meant for anything to happen and as long as everyone did as he asked, no one would get hurt.

Everyone had chosen to sit up, leaning against the wooden counter. Everyone sat close together, but none as close as Luke and Lorelai. Both their legs lay crossed in front of them, and Lorelai's head lay on Luke's shoulder as he softly spoke to her.

"...and she would always want to hang out with me. Everywhere I went, Liz would ask me if she could tag along, and if I said no, she'd ask my dad, and he'd make me take her." Lorelai gave a light chuckle. "All the time. Apparently, she thought I was cool or something. And, then I'd spend the whole time making sure she was happy and not feeling neglected, which defeated the purpose of going out and having a good time in the first place."

Lorelai smiled as she pictured a teenage Luke having to babysit a younger sister, outwardly hating every minute of it while still treating her like a little princess.

He continued on. He had been telling her stories about his childhood for over an hour, and before that, he was asking her about various stages of Rory's childhood, her experiences raising her, etc. He already knew lots of it, but he still inquired. He tried to ask the tough questions. Ones where she had to think. Ones where her mind would be forced to go elsewhere, if only temporarily. Lorelai spoke openly, her head filling with distant images from her and Rory's youth. After all, they had overlapped in a way.

Once the subject was exhausted, Luke paused, thinking of somewhere else he could take the conversation.

"I have to use the restroom," Lorelai said calmly, her head sill laying comfortably against him.

Luke turned toward her. "Can you hold it?" He asked.

"I have been. My bladder's gonna start a revolt in a minute," she replied lightly.

Luke sighed, turning to look at Parker. He still paced, biting his nails, which was probably down to the nubs at that point.

"Excuse me," Luke called. Parker turned to him.

"Yeah," he said, almost pleasantly.

"Um, can we get some bathroom or food breaks in here?" He asked.

He looked around at all the people. "I have some hamburgers coming in here in a little bit because I'm hungry too," he said. He paused and looked around again. "Who needs to go the bathroom?" Several hands went up. "Okay, then," he said simply.

One gentleman got up to go, and Lorelai stood up slowly too, her muscles a bit cramped from sitting for so long. Parker rushed over to her, looking panicked. He pushed her slightly against the counter. "No, one person at a time," he spit out.

Lorelai stumbled back, and Luke was on his feet in the next instant. "Do not touch her," he said through clenched teeth. His hands balled into fists at his sides.

"Luke," Lorelai said calmly. She placed her hand on his chest. "It's okay. Sit down," she said. Parker had placed the gun in the back of his pants a while ago since no one was posing a threat, but he reached back and took it out at that moment. He cocked it and held it by his side.

"Yeah, _Luke _, sit your ass the fuck down before I sit you down" he said now that his piece of courage was being held tightly in his fingers.

Luke's eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward. Parker's eyes shifted nervously and he held up his chin in an effort to show his lack of intimidation. He swallowed hard, his adam's apple disappearing briefly.

"If you ever touch her again, you better be ready to use that thing." Luke looked at him menacingly, venom dripping out of every word that he spoke.

Parker looked at Luke, then at Lorelai. He swallowed again. Lorelai held her breath. And Luke remained looking at the man, daring him to test his words.

Parker's eyes fell back to Lorelai. "Just go use the bathroom," he said like it was no big deal.

"Luke--"

"It's okay. Go ahead," Luke said still looking intensely to Parker. Her instincts told her to stay and forget about the whole bathroom thing. Stay by Luke's side and make sure he didn't do anything crazy, but her bladder told her that at any moment she would be presented with a situation.

"Luke, please--"

"Everything is fine. Go to the bathroom, Lorelai." He turned to her, looking her square in the eyes. She released a heavy breath before giving up and jogging toward the Ladies room. Luke turned back to Parker, making sure he was clear on everything. After a few seconds, he took a step back and sat back down on the floor.

Parker looked down to him before taking the gun and placing it back in his pants. "You know you could have just been killed, don't you?" Luke balled and unballed his fists, but he said nothing. "But I didn't want to embarrass you," he said, covering up his true cowardice. "Is that your woman, man?" Luke looked past him, his jaw clenching tightly. _'This guy can not be serious,'_ Luke thought. Parker looked in the direction that Lorelai had left in. "I probably won't ever have a girlfriend like that," he said woefully.

Luke looked up to him suddenly. "Yes, you will," he said quickly. Parker looked at him, shocked that he'd even spoken to him.

"You think so, man?" He asked.

"Yeah," Luke looked at him, fire returning to his pupils, "I'm pretty sure whatever prison you end up in will have plenty of _girlfriends _for you to choose from." Parker's gullible expression left instantly. "Unless, of course...you become the girl," Luke finished.

Seeing Parker's angered look caused a little of Luke's rage to melt away. He almost felt proud of himself. "Man, fuck you!" He almost screamed. His bottom lip trembled as he leaned in at his words. "I'm not going to jail! Fuck you!"

Luke reared back slightly. He'd done a better job than he had thought. He nearly smiled at his outburst. Instead, he lifted an eyebrow showing an indifference and looked away.

Parker continued to look down at him. "Why would you say that?" He asked, obviously shaken.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Take a look around you." He paused. "These are _people_--people with families--and news flash, what you're doing here is illegal," he said bitingly. "And the longer you drag this out, the worse it's gonna be."

Parker looked around briefly. "I didn't do anything. I didn't hurt anybody. So, I can still get off," he said moreso to convince himself.

"Didn't you shoot at somebody earlier?" Luke asked with attitude.

"But did I hit her?" He asked smartly. "I still have a chance."

"Whatever you say," Luke said with little care.

He looked around again to see if everyone's face agreed with Luke. "You don't think so?" Parker asked Luke, his voice betraying every ounce of confidence that he'd exhibited.

Luke snapped. "Do I look like your damn buddy? Your _pal_? Stop talking to me."

"Fuck you!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. "Fuck you and fuck everybody else in here!" He spun around pointing at various people. "Fuck you--fuck you--fuck every-damn-body!" Luckily the gun stayed tucked firmly in the back of his pants as he went about his little temper-tantrum.

Truth be told, he had made up his mind that he wouldn't use the gun at all. The officer he'd spoken to had convinced him that one drop of blood from anyone in the building would guarantee him a life sentence. As he waited for his requested escape vehicle, a Ferarri 360 spider, he knew that all he had to do was keep his head, and everything would work out. With no one's blood on his hands, he figured he'd have a free pass to get out of the country. In a ferarri.

He continued to express his anger. "When the food gets here, nobody is getting shit," he stressed harshly. He stormed over to the far wall. Luke just rolled his eyes. The man was an excellent example of petulance. It was like a babysitting gone awry.

Lorelai came from the back and took her seat close to Luke. She released a breath and looked at him. "I am so going to kick your ass when we get out of this thing," she said seriously. She was referring to Luke's testosterone-driven show which could have gone very differently than it had. Luke looked down.

Parker looked at Lorelai. "Where the hell is that other guy?" He asked her. "The guy that went with you."

Lorelai looked at him and shook her head nervously. "I don't...know."

"You don't know?" He asked. He pointed to another lady. "You--go see where the hell he is, and if you don't come back here in thirty seconds, I'm going to blow this lady's head off," he said pulling out the gun and pointing it briefly at the lady who'd initially been presented with the weapon.

The woman took off running toward the men's room. She came back in under fifteen seconds. "He's not in there," she said catching her breath.

"What?! What, did he just disa-fuckin-ppear?"

"The...uh, window is open," she added feebly.

"Oh, I can't _believe_ this shit," He said, walking and standing to the side of the door. He peered out like he expected the man to be outside just waving at him. He walked back over to where he had been. "Who the hell puts big ass windows in bathrooms? What is the fucking purpose of that?" He exclaimed. Everyone remained silent. "Well, whoever else has to go just lost that chance. Nobody else is leaving this room, goddamn it!"

Everybody watched the show that Parker was so thoroughly putting on for them with his multiple tirades.

Luke turned and looked at Lorelai. She could feel him looking at her, but she was more concerned with wondering exactly what kind of robber they had been given. She finally tore her eyes away from him and looked back to Luke. "What?" She whispered. He continued to look at her. "What?" She asked again. He looked upset.

"Lorelai, was there a window in the bathroom?"

She shrugged. "There may have been a window."

"Lorelai."

"Yes, Luke," She admitted with exasperation. "There was a window."

He gave her an obvious look. "Why..." It came out quietly, and he couldn't even finish it, he was so mad.

"What?" She urged, suddenly meeting his anger head on. She still spoke low. "Why didn't I pop the window open, crawl out, and leave _you _here? Is that what you want to know?" She looked at him expectantly for a few seconds before shaking her head and looking away. "I don't care how angry you get with me, I would never do that. I don't care if the whole damn wall was missing," she said stubbornly.

Luke's jaw tightened. "Lorelai," he began, "you have Rory to consider," he said, his voice strained.

Lorelai looked down and considered his words. He definitely had a point. She looked back at him, tears filling her eyes. "Well, I have you, too," she said quietly in an unsteady voice.

Luke was furious. Mainly because he felt it was his fault she was even in the situation. If it wasn't for him, she would have driven her own car to the antique shop and would have been back in Stars Hollow at that point. He also was aware of how he had all but dragged her _into _the bank. She was supposed to have been in the car. Safe and sound. His mind wouldn't let up.

She had had an opportunity to get herself out of the situation, and she hadn't taken it. But her reasoning was substantial. She didn't want to leave him, and he knew that he couldn't fault her openly for doing that. Not when he would have done the same for her. But to him, his selflessness wasn't a big deal, but he couldn't just _accept _altruism when he was on the other end. That was a whole different ballgame.

They stared at each other, neither willing to give in on their points.

He finally just sighed, deciding that they could do nothing to change what had happened. "This is great. Now, we're both still stuck here," he said.

"Me and you," she said with finality.

Luke nodded while still looking intensely into her still damp eyes. A moment of silence passed between them before he spoke. "If you're presented with something like that again, take it. I mean it," he said sternly.

A determined look crossed her face. "Not in these heels. They're not made for window-climbing."

"Then, take 'em off and _leave them _," he said.

"If they stay, then so do I. Period." She crossed her arms defiantly and turned her attention elsewhere.

Luke rolled his eyes. He knew at that point that even if he picked her up and threw her out the window, she'd find a way to scramble back in. _'Sometimes you win, and sometimes you have no choice but to accept defeat_," he thought. _'And when dealing with Lorelai, more often than not, it'll be the latter. Period.'_

**TBC... **


	3. Chapter 3

**Unlike Clockwork Part III**

Another half hour passed by slowly.

Nearly four hours had been extinguished and their chances of getting out anytime soon seemed more and more bleak. Apparently Parker wanted a car that they were having a bit of trouble obtaining, and he was unwilling to settle for anything less. And they were stuck there until he got what he wanted. He'd made that more than clear.

"Luke," Lorelai said quietly. They had been quiet for a while, so when Lorelai's voice broke through, Luke turned to look at her quickly.

"Yeah," he answered.

She turned her eyes on him. "Are you scared?" She asked.

Luke tossed a glance at Parker as he nervously paced the floor, keeping an eye on everyone. He shook his head. "Nah," he answered. "I am aggravated as hell, though." Lorelai smiled. He took a moment before asking, "Are you?"

"Honestly?" Luke nodded. "No, I'm not. Not anymore." He was both surprised and relieved to hear her say that. "If you weren't here, it'd probably be different, though."

Luke looked down in thought. A smile appeared on his face, and he looked back at her. "Well, I was about to leave, but...I guess I'll stay a _few more minutes _." She laughed. "...you know, for you," he added.

He dropped his gaze again, the smile fading slowly from his face. Lorelai's amusement eventually disappeared too, and she continued to look at him. "What if this was it?" She asked out of nowhere. He gave her a confused look. "What if today was _it _, ya know?" She saw Luke about to dispute her words, and she clarified to give him some peace of mind where she was concerned. "Not that I think that it is, but _hypothetically speaking_, what if today was it?" She paused. "Would you have any regrets? Things you could've done differently in your life?"

Luke shrugged. "Wouldn't everybody?"

"I guess so."

"But, it isn't so we don't have to worry about that."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"I am right. There's no room for theoretics."

Lorelai looked down thoughtfully, and Luke mistook it for a retraction in mood. And he felt like a killjoy. He realized in that moment that she wasn't necessarily looking for reassurance. She was just wanting to talk. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her even more than the situation already had.

He turned toward her a little.

"Okay," She looked up, "The clock got pushed back," Luke began. "None of this happened." He went against all of his natural rationalities in participating in the hypothetical game, but he continued. For her. "You have time to do one thing." He paused. "What won't you have to chalk up to a regret? What would you do in that moment?"

She looked at him, seeming to be in deep thought like she was really in a time race. Luke smiled, satisfied she'd taken to it. "Come on, time's ticking," he urged playfully. She looked to him, thinking hard. Luke pushed. "Tick. Tock. Tick. Time waits for no man. You have to make a decis--"

Luke's word was cut short when Lorelai leaned over quickly and pressed her lips hard against his. He froze. She pulled back, only enough to separate their lips. And she looked at him. His eyes were closed. She slowly brought her mouth back to his and gave him a soft peck that told him that she hadn't made a rash decision. She did this once, twice, and then three times. The fourth one was longer. It had Luke finally reacting by placing his hand on the side of her face. Lorelai angled her head, getting ready to take it a step further. That is, until...

"What the hell are you two doing?! Does this look like a fucking Motel 6?" They broke apart and both looked to Parker. "HELLO!" He said loudly while theatrically pointing to his gun. He started to laugh. "Now, I know how the mood can just strike, but damn! Do y'all think this is a _sexy _situation or something?" He laughed harder, pointing toward them. "You are the _man _!" He exclaimed to Luke.

Lorelai sat back down in her spot, and Luke took notice of the red that had come across her cheeks. "Asshole," he muttered.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

"It's been almost five motherfucking hours! I don't give a damn about all of that. I _have _been patient! You have fifteen minutes and I'm going to show you how fucking serious I am!" Parker slammed the phone down. He came to stand in front of where everyone still sat. "Well," he began, "They obviously don't give a shit about any of you," he said calmly. "If they did, they would have already gotten my MOTHERFUCKING CAR!" He yelled. Never mind the fact that he'd requested a car that probably had to be airlifted from some remote location.

Nobody even flinched. They figured it was another one of his little fits. He had been yelling, storming, and throwing fits for the past couple hours, and everyone was just ready for him to tire himself out and fall asleep like all pre-pubescents tend to do.

It wasn't that everyone was confident they were out of harm's way. It was just that after hours of listening to him scream _everything_, it had become easier to block out. He was seeming more harmless with each passing second. Many people just stared off into space, thinking of the many things that were going undone because they were in the middle of a hostage situation.

"What time is it?" Lorelai asked as she sat doodling on a piece of paper from her purse.

Luke leaned up and looked at the big clock on the far wall. "Six twenty," he said. He stole a glance at her. She was focused on the task in front of her. She looked so serious. Beautiful. He swallowed, still able to feel her lips against his. They still hadn't said anything on the subject. And Lorelai seemed perfectly content, like nothing had happened.

"I'm hungry," she said. She looked up at the table full of burgers that Parker had requested. True to his word, he hadn't allowed them to touch any of them. He had eaten two, the smell from the burgers wafting teasingly around the room.

"Me too," Luke agreed. He played with his fingers. "What do you want me to make you when we get back to the diner?"

Lorelai looked at him and smiled. She knew what he was doing. Always so _Luke _. She sat down her pen and paper and crossed her legs. "Um, I'll take a cheeseburger with everything...except anything that was once a part of a garden, a large side of french fries, the biggest piece of boysenberry pie you have, and a mug of coffee-keep it coming." She smiled at him again, and his lips turned up too, not taking his attention off his fingers in front of him. "You think you can remember all of that?"

"Sure. A million calories, minus the good stuff, a side of carbs, add thousands of grams of sugar and fat, and then throw in a nice cup of java to truly cement your future heart attack. Gotcha!"

Lorelai laughed. "Perfect."

"Whooooo!" Everyone turned their attention to Parker as he looked out one of the windows. "Whoooo!" He yelled again. "That thing is bad as hell. Man!" He turned around briefly. He spotted Luke first. "Luke, man, you've got to come see this car! This motherfucker is baaaad." He stepped away with a big, stupid smile. "I am going to rip up the roads in that shit!" He turned back. "You wanna come check it out, man?"

Luke looked at Lorelai, both of them sharing a disbelieving look. The guy had some _serious _psychological issues.

"No, I'm okay," Luke answered unenthusiastically.

"Suit yourself," he said shrugging. He resumed looking out the window for a while longer before turning around and pulling the gun from its resting place. "Okay," he said taking a deep breath, "Everybody up."

Everyone looked around at each other, curious to what was about to happen next. They all stood up. At that moment, the bank's phone rang, and Parker rushed over and answered it.

"Hello," he answered. He sounded like he was answering the phone for his residence. "Yeah, I see the car...okay...okay...remember, if anybody tries anything, I--okay, glad we understand each other...well, it's been nice talking to you today, Daniel," he said happily before hanging up the phone.

He turned toward the crowd. "Good news, everybody." He held his hands out, the gun still in his right hand. "I'm not going to have to kill anyone today." Everyone continued to look at him, finding no humor at all in what he apparently did. He looked from face to face. "Well, you would think you guys would be a little more happy with that news. Shit." Everyone still remained silent. "Whatever," he said dismissively.

He used his gun to point to Luke. "Luke, get your bitch and form a line right here," he said pointing to another spot.

Luke took a step forward. "Kid, you better watch your goddamn mouth," he said.

"What?" He asked with attitude.

"You heard me," Luke said with the same bite.

Parker's frown turned around instantly. He realized a while ago that his intimidation methods weren't going to work on this guy. Especially when it came to the woman beside him. But he still had to try. "You know what? I like you, man."

Luke's anger wouldn't allow him to accept the compliment. He cared little that the _gunman _was now in an apparent good mood. "I don't care who the hell you like. Just watch your mouth." Lorelai placed a hand on his arm. It was almost over, and she didn't need him to lose it in the last minute. Parker's words didn't bother her as much as it did Luke.

He laughed this time. "Another situation, me and you could have been friends, man. I need people like you on my team." Luke suppressed the desire to tell him to kiss his ass. He looked down and took Lorelai's hand leading her to the spot that Parker had specified. Parker watched him, his actions. "You know you're getting lucky tonight, don't you?" He said, still amused. " _My hero _," he said in a high-pitched voice, apparently mocking what Lorelai might say. She narrowed her eyes at him.

Luke, then remembered he was dealing with someone who obviously had the mindset of a child. "Your car is waiting on you," he reminded calmly.

"Oh, yeah," Parker said instantly. He got back to business. "Alright, everybody line up behind them." Everyone moved quickly, ready to bring the whole thing to an end.

"Wait," he said, thinking of something. "I probably need someone to walk me to my car. Make sure I get there safely." He smiled. "Any volunteers?" He moved his eyes through the line of people, stopping at Luke. "Don't worry, I'm not going to choose her," he said pointing to Lorelai. "I'd probably have to kill your ass if I did," he said. He looked down the line. "You." He pointed to one of the female customers. "I haven't picked on you today. Mind walking me to my car--taking any bullets from trigger-happy cops--that sort of thing?"

He chuckled, and every eye was on him. If only looks could kill. Luke looked down the line to the woman who he had selected, and he could see her visibly shaking from what may occur. He looked back to Parker, and that's when he felt Lorelai applying pressure on his arm. He looked over at her.

She shook her head slowly. _'Don't' _she mouthed. He stared into her eyes as his mind reeled. Lorelai was right in stopping him. He couldn't try to intervene with every situation. Eventually his luck would run out with the guy.

He sighed and nodded at her. At least Lorelai was safe. He'd just be grateful with that.

The lady reluctantly stepped out from everyone else. She moved slowly.

"Come on," Parker urged lightly. "You can do it. Come here." She walked over to him, and he turned her around, placing himself behind her. "Now, I'm going to have to get a little closer so you. Don't think I'm taking advantage of you, now." His voice was playful, leading everyone to truly consider the possibility of mental retardation. The scene hardly caused for humor of any kind. Especially for him. He placed his arm across her neck loosely and held his gun by his side.

"Well, I hope you all remember to write." He smiled and waved the rest of them to the door. "You're free to go. And make sure you get a good look at my new car on your way out. It's been fun."

They looked from one to the other, surprised that he was making it that easy. Luke broke the confusion by quickly heading toward the exit, Lorelai in tow. Everyone else followed, some tossing glances back to Parker, making sure he was truly okay with their departure. He used the gun-holding hand to wave them good-bye.

"Okay, it's just you and me now," he said to the woman. He began walking toward the door. "You smell good. What is that? Soap?" The woman leaned uncomfortably into him, silently praying that everything would turn out okay. For her and him. He was young, and despite his vagrant disrespect for the opposite sex and his need to, well, hold up banks, he didn't seem completely like a lost cause. Seriously mislead and in need of some high-end punishment/ counseling, but he wasn't the worst society had to offer. Killing him wouldn't do anyone any good. So, she prayed for both their safety.

All of the hostages, as soon as they'd stepped outside, were ushered over to a distant location away from harm. Everyone watched the bank entrance, waiting for the moment when Parker and his last hostage would emerge.

Finally, that moment came. News vans and police cars were parked everywhere, and Parker took in the scene with wide eyes. He had the gun placed against the woman's temple, and he moved slowly, keeping an eye on every officer as he did so. The ferrari was parked right out front, and as soon as he made it to the driver's side door, he leaned against it, readied himself, then pushed her away, getting quickly into the vehicle.

He obviously hadn't thought that plan through at all. Several officers came and whisked the woman away before more came in cars, quickly blocking him from going anywhere. Aware that he was still armed, they got out and pulled their weapons immediately.

Thinking they were about to open fire on him, Parker pulled the door open, raised his hands and laid on the ground submissively. It was over in a matter of moments..

Even taking into account Luke and Lorelai's distance from the scene, they could still hear Parker yelling, "Don't shoot!" over and over.

A nearby news team zoomed in on the arrest before it went back to the reporter. "A five hour stand off leaves no one hurt, and one gunman behind bars. A truly happy ending to a long day," she said before signing off.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

The antique shop that Lorelai had to go to was still open by the time they left the bank, and it was only a few minutes away from where they were. Lorelai went in, got the decorative piece, and got back in the truck like everything was going as planned.

They'd just left the shop, and Luke had been driving for two, maybe three minutes. The sun was setting, and the sky was about to have nature's shade drawn over it, making a memory of the day's events. He turned onto the road that would take them home, a road that he and Lorelai had argued about on the way up there. Apparently, Lorelai didn't have faith in back roads as much as he did.

"Can you pull over up here?" Lorelai asked him. She pointed to the side of the road.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked worriedly. He quickly pulled over to the side. He shifted his truck in park and turned off the ignition, and Lorelai undid her seatbelt. Thinking that she was about to be sick, he leaned forward expecting her to open the door and step outside.

Instead, she went in the opposite direction. She reached over and unclicked his seatbelt. She looked completely graceful when she crawled to her knees and straddled his lap in one fluid motion. She lightly grasped his face and brought her lips down on his.

Luke had no time to prepare. No time to even realize what it was she was doing.

She kissed him softly at first, like she was just picking up where she had left off in the bank. Luke was an immediate participant as he brought his hands to rest on her sides before sliding them down to her thighs.

Within seconds the kiss deepened. Lorelai's hands slid around to his neck and pulled his mouth toward her even more. The kiss was slow. Rhythmic.

Her chest was pressed up against his, and they continued to savor. Soft, quiet moans came from Lorelai as Luke's hands moved up and down her thighs, sliding closer and closer to her bottom.

The need for air caused them to break apart, their foreheads resting together. Their eyes remained closed as they took heavy breaths.

"Sorry, I had to do that," Lorelai breathed out.

"I'm glad," was his only response. He moved his hand up and gently pushed her hair back from her face. His touch was light, soft--grazing the skin of her cheek sensually.

She slowly tilted her head and kissed his mouth again. She took his bottom lip loosely between her teeth, and released it, playing with the soft hairs on his neck as she did so. After placing another kiss softly on his lips, heat overcame them again, and they resumed open exploration. Deep. Awakening. Kindling. The connection was unbelievable. Unable to deny. Unfortunately, so, again was the need for oxygen.

They pulled apart. "We have to stop," Lorelai said breathily. She kissed him again.

"Why?" He let his hands slip underneath her shirt briefly before returning them to her thighs. "We don't have to do anything..." He leaned up and kissed her, "...that we don't want to do."

"But we have to," she said, finally opening her eyes. They were dark. Clouded.

Luke looked back to her. She could see how much he wanted her. "Why?" He asked patiently, his hands still traveling.

"Because I'm getting a cramp in my leg," she said.

He looked down at her right leg. He saw it crammed between the door and the seat at an awkward angle, and he started to laugh while rubbing that thigh subconsciously.

She smiled. "Don't laugh. It's not funny," she said, barely lucid after what had just transpired.

"I'm sorry," he said, "You can move."

She didn't budge. "I'm comfortable."

He looked down to her leg again. "No, you're not."

"But, I'm _comfortable _," she stressed quietly.

A slow smile spread over his face as he reached up and lightly rubbed her cheek. She looked softly into his eyes as he touched her. They stayed that way for several minutes.

"Okay, this is really starting to hurt," Lorelai said as she climbed off of him.

Luke watched her take her seat beside him. She got comfortable and released a breath, looking back over to him. "What?" She asked softly--an intimate tone that Luke took to immediately.

He swallowed. Took a second to process. "If that was because of what that kid said back there--"

"Luke, no," she said instantly. She paused. Looked at him. "It wasn't."

He wanted to ask 'why' then. Why she had all of a sudden felt the urge to do that, both in the bank and in his truck. But, he didn't. "Okay," he conceded after a while. He started to crank the car, but stopped at Lorelai's voice.

"You're amazing, Luke." He looked up at her. "You've always been," she added. "This is just..." She paused for a long moment. "This is one thing--one...big thing...that I won't have to leave as a...regret."

Luke's eyes shifted, and he hesitated. "So, that would mean that this--" He pointed between the both of them.

"Was a long time coming," she finished. They shared a long look.

"Have you always looked at me like that?" Lorelai asked quietly.

"Like what?" Luke asked, not taking his eyes off of her.

"Like this." She reached up and ran her hand along his cheek before returning it to her lap. "Like I'm special."

"Aren't you?"

She shook her head, still holding his gaze. "Just a poor little rich girl from Hartford," she answered playfully.

Luke leaned over. "Come here," he whispered. She moved toward him, and their mouths connected in yet another heated kiss. They continued on for as long as they could before having no choice but to break apart.

"You're a great kisser," she whispered placing another lingering kiss on his lips. They rested their foreheads together again.

"You're an amazing woman," he said when his breathing returned to semi-normal. "When I look at you, that's all I see."

Lorelai smiled. "Even when I--"

"That's _all _I see," he punctuated. "Very little choice in the matter."

His admission made her blush heavily. "And if you had a choice...?"

"I thought you didn't like to fish."

She knew where he was going. "I don't," she said smiling.

"Then why--"

"Compliments are very rare but still aquatic. I'm willing to make an exception."

"Well, I think you know the answer to that question."

"I do?" She whispered before kissing him deeply again. She pulled away. "Humor me."

Luke smiled. "Weren't we just in a robbery?"

"Mmm-hmm," she answered distracted.

"And, you're--"

"Too busy falling for you to care? Yeah, I am," she said, her lips already brushing his.

Luke leaned into her, kissing her determinately. They separated but remained close.

"Lorelai?"

"Hmmm?"

"I have a question to ask you."

"What's that?"

He paused. "Will you go on a date with me?"

She smiled. "Um, let me think about that," she said. She moved her mouth against his and kissed him lightly before sticking her tongue out and running it seductively across his lips. Just as she was about to get lost in her own tease, Luke pulled away slightly.

"So, that's a _firm_ 'no' then?" He asked lightly, though he wasn't a big fan of the teasing.

Lorelai only laughed. "It would be my pleasure," she answered seriously.

"Okay," he said, a sudden smile appearing on his face. "Um, is Saturday good for you?"

"Saturday is great for me," she said, taking great joy in watching him smile.

"Good then. That's, uh, really good." He actually sounded relieved that she'd agreed.

Luke cranked up the truck. As he got ready to shift into 'drive', he felt Lorelai's hand on his wrist. He looked over at her. "I just wanted to say 'thank you'. For everything," she said genuinely. Luke dropped his gaze and nodded. She continued on. "And I want you to know..." She paused, looking him directly in the eyes, "...that I still have definite plans to beat your ass." She flashed him a brief smile before turning toward her window.

He continued to look at her, his brows drawn together in confusion. He hadn't exactly expected that. He thought she would have put that aside at that point. A sudden smile appeared. And, he shifted the truck, turning his attention back to the road. "So, um, that's what you're into, hunh?" He joked.

She turned to him quickly, her mouth open. He began to drive. "You're just full of surprises," he added. "I should probably let you know that I, uh..." He looked over at her, "...I don't do assless chaps." He said, almost unable to hold his amusement.

Of all the things she expected to come out of his mouth, that just wasn't one of them. Her usual wit abandoned her for a moment. After releasing several breaths that suggested offense, she finally responded. "_Shut up_," she said pitifully. Luke only laughed

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Later that evening, after Luke had dropped her off at home, Lorelai sat on the couch, the phone snuggled between her ear and shoulder.

"You sound frustrated. What's wrong?" She asked Rory, referring to her uncharacteristic greeting.

She heard Rory release a breath. "It's supposed to be March 1st," she said tiredly. "This whole day was awful."

Lorelai smiled. It was like they were one person. "What happened, Hon?" She had called her to share her day, but she instantly forgot about that.

"What didn't happen? First of all, I totally missed breakfast this morning, Two, Paris has been storming around since 5 am talking about bacterial enzymes all over the place, which you would think would have gotten me up in time to catch breakfast, but of course it didn't." She paused. "Let me see...I second-guessed myself on my test and I'm sure I mixed up my algorithm method, and now I get to sit here and stress about it until Friday. That's fun," she said sarcastically. "And _please_ do not get me started on my hair."

"Aw, Honey," Lorelai said sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

"I'm just glad that it's almost over. This day sucked."

Lorelai was quiet as she thought back to an hour ago in Luke's truck. She smiled. "It wasn't so bad," she said.

"And, on top of that," Rory continued like her mom hadn't said anything at all, "Somebody told me that my bank was robbed. I should be happy I wasn't in it I guess." She laughed lightly before releasing a tired sigh. "Okay, enough about me, how has this day been for you, Mom?"

"Oh, it's, uh, funny that you asked..."

**The End!**

**I don't know if this is one of those 'I can't believe she ended it here!' endings, but hopefully not. I don't strive to cause strife. Really. **

**I don't actually GO into my bank now since they have that wonderful drive thru thingie, but I am pretty sure they don't have restrooms for public use, let alone 1 for men and 1 for women. Oh well. That's probably just one of many faux pas in this here little tale. But, since my life's motto is _'what-the-bleep-ever'_, it'll remain. Be kind, please rewi--, uh, review!**


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